


Fool

by Sue Corkill (mscorkill)



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-04
Updated: 2012-04-04
Packaged: 2017-11-03 01:08:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/375387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mscorkill/pseuds/Sue%20Corkill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adrian Conrad finds his plan didn’t work quite the way he expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fool

**Author's Note:**

> Not my usual, but I found myself very curious as to Adrian’s thoughts after he realized what had happened.
> 
> Season Five; originally posted October 2001

FOOL

Adrian Conrad slowly surfaced from what seemed like an interminable nightmare. Only he was still dreaming—but this was a dream where he had been released from the agony that had wracked his body for so long. His lungs no longer felt like they were on fire. He took a deep breath—and he could! His muscles and joints were blessedly free of the pain that had become his constant companion. If this was a dream, he never wanted to wake up! He wanted to keep this moment and this state of well being forever—or at least for a few more precious moments. As he continued to savor the strength and power he could feel filling his tortured frame, he began to hear faint voices. Were they part of his dream or was he waking?

"Do whatever it takes."

Diana’s voice; dear, dependable Diana was in his dream. She had been so faithful, sticking with him and helping him—even nursing him—during his illness. He needed to tell her how good he felt, he wanted to reassure her, to thank her…he opened his mouth.

"I know this has been hard on you, Diana, I’m sorry."

Wait…that wasn’t what he’d meant to say. Confused, Adrian listened to her reply.

"I just want you to get better."

He could feel her soft hand on his cheek.

"I am better, I can feel it. If you let me out of these restraints I could show you."

"I can’t do that."

She sounded frightened…why would Diana be frightened of him?

"I’ve been cooped up in hospitals for the last six months, all I want to do is go outside and breath some fresh air."

"But you have that thing inside you."

No! Wait! What was she saying? His thoughts were muddled; what thing did he have inside him?

"It’s not controlling me! I’m controlling it. Can’t you tell? Diana, please…you don’t have to kill Major Carter, I’m fine. Everything is going to be okay."

"I wish I could believe you."

"Look at me! You know me better than anyone in the whole world. I did this for you! So we could be together. Just let one hand go, so I can touch your face."

Adrian tried to speak, his mind formed the words—but they refused to come out. He tried to move his mouth, his tongue, force the air through his vocal cords that would tell her of his recovery, his thanks, and his affection; but something kept him mute. He could feel her hand on his arm; her nimble fingers tugging and pulling at the leather restraint he just now realized was around his wrist. He heard and felt the strap slide free and his arm moved.

What happened next seemed to occur out of time—as if he was back in his nightmare, only this time watching himself. He saw himself break free of the remaining restraints, his strength magnified beyond his imagination. He leapt to his feet, the blood pouring through his veins, his heart pounding with excitement and power. He heard Diana give a startled cry; he felt her arm—and then the soft flesh of her neck beneath his hands. He could hear her pleading voice, smell the fear that mingled with his own blood lust, see the terror that filled her eyes. Alarm began to pour through him; he had to wake up! He felt himself try to scream, but no sound came out! Wake up! Wake up!

Adrian opened his eyes and saw Diana’s lifeless brown eyes staring accusingly up at him, saw his hands and arms fling her carelessly aside as his legs propelled him from his knees to his feet. And he finally heard his voice, somehow deeper and not his, as it reverberated in the empty room.

"Fool."

And in his mind, Adrian Conrad screamed as realization roared through him. Even as his muddled brain started to wrap itself around what had happened to him, his body continued to move forward without his guidance—the creature guiding him, cautiously and carefully. And Adrian felt his body obey, moving as stealthily as possible, given his still somewhat weakened condition.

"So, you are awake."

Hearing the voice sounding in his brain, Adrian cried out soundlessly, "What have you done?" His legs continuing to move, taking him down some stairs, heading deeper into what he realized were the bowels of the deserted hospital.

"I am saving your life, human." The voice seemed to sneer at him. "Is that not what you wanted?"

Adrian’s thoughts were in chaos. "Yes, but…it wasn’t suppose to be like this!"

"Foolish human." The voiced derided Adrian even as his body moved slowly down the dank, dark basement hallway, his eyesight surprisingly good even in the dim light. "You thought you would control me! Me! The one who will be your master and your world’s god."

"No, please! You must listen to me!" Adrian pleaded.

"Be still," the voice commanded.

"No! I am my own master!" Adrian cried out to the creature, the cry turning to one of intense agony as a sharp, stabbing pain filled his brain. He dropped to his knees, panting for breath.

"Fool! Cease your pathetic begging or I will cause you even more pain. I am your master now."

The pain subsided as quickly as it had started. Adrian felt his body helplessly obey the commands of the creature as he rose, a trifle unsteadily, to his feet. He found himself standing in a doorway, catching his breath; his eyes scanning the area for a place to hide as he heard footsteps. Spying a recessed area above some pipes in the ceiling, he slowly pulled himself up into the small enclosure. His body was already tiring, in spite of the creature’s healing abilities, he had already been forced to expend a large amount of energy. Adrian could hear footsteps getting closer, and in spite of the creature’s insistent demands, his weakened body suddenly gave in and he dropped to his feet in the hallway. Adrian watched, horrified, as the man in front of him pointed a gun at him.

"Where ya’ going?"

"Shoot me and you’ll kill the host."

Adrian struggled to communicate with the other man, but the creature ruthlessly squashed his efforts.

"Don’t make me."

Tired, scared, and confused, Adrian watched in horror as a shadowy figure appeared and shot the first man in the back. The man fell, face first, onto the floor. The second man stepped out of the shadows and spoke.

"You want to live? You come with me."

It took a moment for Adrian to grasp that the stranger with the gun was speaking to him…or rather, the creature who controlled him. And he suddenly realized that he could sense the other creature’s thoughts and felt incredibly relieved when the creature acquiesced to the stranger’s demands and Adrian’s body moved haltingly forward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I expect better treatment than this." The deep voice still sounded odd to Adrian’s ears.

"Well, right now, you have no choice. But once you start delivering on your end of our little bargain, I might be able to move you to better accommodations."

"You cannot offer anything of equal value to the knowledge I possess."

"I’m not sure about that."

Adrian watched Simmons leave the interrogation room. "He won’t let you live," Adrian told the creature.

"Be still, foolish human."

"My name is Adrian," he replied automatically, ignoring the creature’s snort of derision. It had taken Adrian some time, but he had seemed to establish some kind of rapport with the creature. Though rapport wasn’t quite the best word—perhaps truce was better. It hadn’t take him long to realize there was very little he could hide from the creature. And though he currently had no control over his body—or the creature—Adrian was confident that with time, he would. He hadn’t achieved any of his great successes in life, or built his vast business empire, by standing idly by and doing nothing. Fortunately, the arrogance of the Goa’uld kept it from concentrating too closely on Adrian’s thoughts—unless it needed some specific information. So Adrian did the only thing he could do; he watched, he waited, he would learn—and then they would see who was the fool.

THE END


End file.
